Norweigain support for state’s infant child health care

Bhubaneswar, 13th Dec (Odisha.in) Orissa’s infant health care status all set to receive a shot in the arms . The State Health & FW Society in H&FW Department of the Government have entered into an agreement with United Nations Office for Project Services ( UNOPS ) .

It is a part of the Norway India partnership Initiative ( NIPI ) which has come forward for support in a big way. This Norwegian support aims at strengthening services provided under NRHM for improving women & child health care .

Mr lasse Bjorn Johannessen , Ambassador I/C of Norway to India was also present during this signing in ceremony held at 3rd floor conference hall of Orissa Secretariat .This MOA will be inforce till 31.03.2012 , during which activities to be carried out and completed . .NRHM aims at providing accessible , affordable , effective , accountable and reliable health care to all and in particular to the poorer and vulnerable sections of the population consistent with the outcomes envisioned in the Millennium Development Goals ( MDG ).

Norway & India have agreed to collaborate towards achieving MDG 4 based on commitments of the two countries . The aim of the partnership is to facilitate rapid scale-up of quality child related health services that are equitable and sustainable in five high focus States of India including Orissa .

IMR in the State has dropped significantly . Norwegian support is only timely. The intervention will include increasing access to neonatal care and services .

The initiative will take a set of steps to scale up quality of services rendered by ASHA workers at village levels by strengthening their support needs and referral requirements .Its special emphasis on child health planning and its implementation will be Block , District and region specific .

An important component of NRHM is to increase institutional delivery , the fresh initiative would emphasise on training health workers in home based newborns and child care .

Though the institutional delivery in the State has risen significantly , the grey area continues to prevail through home based delivery that will be the focussed area .

Block , District and State Project Management units are to be strengthened to ease out the increased load and will identify the gap in immunisation coverage among the targeted group and seek address that .

Similarly skill enhancement of the nurses to support and manage the entire range of child health programmes will also be a part of this .

This support will see provision of flexible funds both at district and block levels for child health process to speed up decision making . The financial and administrative system too would be mobilised for improvement and increase private sector involvement in attainment of these goals will be high on agenda .